Indian jewelry is among the most opulent and finely wrought in the world. This book draws on over 100 exquisite pieces from the Victoria & Albert Museum's superb collection, many never published before. Nick Barnard illuminates the social context and symbolic meanings as well as the varied techniques employed by craftsmen. He describes how jewelry was worn and by whom, how stones were sourced and cut, how traditions of making and wearing varied in different parts of the country, and how the collection itself was brought together by travelers and scholars over the years.